The Darkness That Consumes
by Youshi Semenjyu
Summary: The Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort's most favored of his followers. To what extremes will they go to ensnare the three who had brought the final downfall of their beloved lord? And what of their vengeful new leader? *FINISHED!* (Harry/Ron)
1. The Vanishing

The Darkness That Consumes 

**By DuoLordofDeath **

**Disclaimer: Nope, Harry Potter and all associated aspects aren't mine!! They're J.K. Rowling's! ^_^**

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**~Chapter One~ - The Vanishing**

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                Four years…had it really been that long? It seemed like only yesterday that he, Hermione, and Harry had been first years at Hogwarts; anxious as they listened to the Sorting Hat's rousing song; and fearful as they cautiously stepped up to the dirty old hat and slipped it on. Four years…it seemed like an eternity to Ron Weasley; four years since they had stepped from the grounds of Hogwarts for the last time, at the very end of their seventh year. 

                "I think I'm even beginning to miss Professor Snape, Pig!" he said wryly as his tiny grey owl, Pigwidgeon, flitted in from a nearby open window, snow-covered and lugging a letter that was twice his size. With a chuckle, Ron took the letter from his owl's tiny talons and looked at the address, hoping against hope that it had been sent from the one person who had not kept in touch. Harry hadn't responded to Ron's nor Hermione's letters in nearly two years; which was very odd for him; Harry was never that inattentive. But as he glanced at the neatly scrawled handwriting on the envelope, Ron's heart sank. He recognized Hermione's neat writing, and he silently opened it after handing Pigwidgeon a bit of food for such good service. He ate sparingly at his breakfast as he read the letter, which merely said that Hermione had accepted his invite to come by during the Christmas break to visit him. With a sigh, he put the letter back into the envelope; he promised himself he'd respond to her later.

                Running a hand through his vibrant red hair, Ron finally arose from the table and walked into his room, laying the letter on his old, beat-up dresser. He smiled a bit at the sight of an old Chudley Cannons poster he had brought with him from The Burrow; but jumped from his reverie to grab a piece of parchment. He then sat down and dipped the tip of the quill he had found into a small pot of ink, then wrote back to Hermione, thankful that she had accepted his invitation. As he sealed the letter to his dear friend, a screech of another owl, obviously not Pigwidgeon, echoed from a window across his small room. With a start, he turned quickly, his blue eyes finding a rather large tawny barn owl flying there holding what seemed to be a newspaper. Laying his quill aside, he went over to the window and opened it, letting the larger bird inside. He pulled out the few Sickles he had tucked away in his slightly disheveled forest green robes and handed them to the hooting owl, and in turn received the paper. 

                After the owl had flown off, Ron went back to his daydream and opened the latest copy of the Daily Prophet, sighing as he stepped over to his bed and flopped dejectedly onto it. With a slight flick of his wrist, he straightened out the paper and took notice of the large moving photograph that was splashed upon the front page. The headline above it screamed out to Ron like a siren; his wide azure eyes were glued onto the flashy words that streaked across the top.

                **_"HARRY POTTER – VANISHED!! By Rita Skeeter" _**it read; and as soon as Ron's eyes trailed the words, "Rita Skeeter", he let out an audible groan. That was enough to tell him that most of this article was probably a load of bunk, but when his eyes caught the active photograph again, something caught his eye. In the picture was his brother Percy, (the new Minister of Magic) with other Ministry members flanking him inside a house, looking over things. In a far corner of the photo, almost indiscernible, there was a small picture sitting on the desk, moving as well. Ron knew that photo well, even though it was tiny. He had the very same photo right next to him on a dusty nightstand. It was a picture of him and Harry on graduation, waving and grinning at Hermione, who was taking the picture. As he saw this, he felt something clench at his heart; something that compelled him to read the article. 

                Many of the so-called facts _WERE_ a load of crud; this Ron knew for a fact; such as Harry had run off with his long-time sweetheart Hermione Granger and were enjoying a nice honeymoon somewhere around the Equator. Ron just had to laugh at that assumption. But the basic outline of the article, that Harry Potter had vanished without a trace, was unsettling to Ron. He had never told anyone, not even Hermione, that he had feelings for Harry; he felt that it had been too risky, their friendships meant too much to him. So he had kept it bottled up inside for seven years, ever since the end of their fifth year. However, even he had to admit that it had been hell trying to keep it hidden, especially from the perceptive mind of Hermione and Harry's keen eyes. With a last glance at the snapshot in the paper, he wadded it up carelessly and tossed it aside. He let himself sprawl unceremoniously across his bed, his slightly worn robes cascading out a bit as he did so. 

                Ron let his eyes grace the ceiling for a moment, blowing a few strands of his fiery red hair from his forehead gently, then turned his head to face the framed picture on his desk that was full of motion and activity. He couldn't help but smile; his photographed version was successfully and triumphantly ruffling Harry's already messy hair with a great grin on his face, while Harry was laughing and ineffectively attempting to bring Ron off of his shoulders. Ron picked up the frame and stared at it for a few moments, letting the memories wash over him. But they were clouded quickly by a stubborn question that was relentless in leaving Ron to his reminiscences. 

                "Where are you, Harry?"

                "Well, Pig, Happy Christmas…it's not like Hermione to be late. Ah well, I'm sure she'll get here soon." Ron sighed a bit as he finished signing a letter to his family (They were off in Romania visiting Charlie; Ron had told them that he would be there a bit late.), then put it in the tiny owl's beak. With an excited hoot, Pigwidgeon flew about his head exuberantly then went out the nearby open window; which was letting snow in at an amazing rate. Cursing to himself a bit loudly, he walked into the main room and flopped into a chair, waving his wand at the window. It shut with a creak of protest, and Ron sighed, his thoughts again drifting to his missing friend.

                "C'mon, Ron, pull yourself together." He gave himself a wry smile. "If I keep worrying like this, I'm going to end up talking to myself."

                "Well, Ron, it seems that you've already become a basket case," came a familiar female voice from behind him. Ron jumped a mile and turned around to find himself looked directly into the glimmering russet eyes of one Hermione Granger. She was perfectly dry and not a bit cold it seemed; and was regarding Ron's surprised look with amusement.

                "Hermione!? Did you…wait…did you get your Apparition license?" Ron managed to say as he stood, trying to regain a bit of lost composure. Hermione looked extremely pleased with herself. 

                "Well, a Happy Christmas to you too!" Hermione replied in mock outrage. She chuckled a bit and continued. "Yes, I did! Just last week! It makes getting around so much easier, and less unsystematic as using Floo Powder. You should try to get yours, Ron! It might come in handy one of these days."

                Ron scowled a bit. "Floo Powder's not that unreliable."

                "I bet your parents weren't saying that when Harry got sent down Knockturn Alley before second term, were they?" She said slyly, a bit of a smile upon her lips. 

                Ron blanched. "Yeah yeah…I guess you're right…" Once again, he had lost to Hermione's logic; it wasn't the first time, after all. But the mention of Harry brought about a silence for a few moments, which was shattered by a soft sound that was coming from the back of Ron's house.

                "What was that?" he asked no one in particular, and together, he and Hermione hurried towards the back of the house. He shuffled around the bottom of a dingy closet, a bit of light coming from the tip of his wand. Hermione was running through a few dusty cupboards with her wand, causing different items to levitate in the air as she looked. Ron was having less luck; he was sneezing lightly in the dust as he rummaged under a shelf in the closet.

                "LOOK! Out there!" cried Hermione's voice suddenly, starling Ron again so much that when he jumped and tried to sit up, he smacked the back of his head into the underside of the shelf. He let out a disgruntled yelp; although the things that were sitting around him muffled it.

                "Owww! What are you going on about now?" he asked as he withdrew his head from the dark interior, rubbing his dusty head gently in pain as he stood. Hermione was pointing out the window out into the area behind his house, right before the forest started with surprise.

                "Oh, do quit your complaining and get over here, Ron!" she said impatiently, and when he finally made it over there, he glanced out the window into the smooth, snowy ground and saw what Hermione was talking about. Laying out a few feet from the window was a medium sized dog of some sort, its black fur silhouetting it against the stark white ground. It was making a soft barking sound identical to the sound that had brought the two back here searching. A very faint trail of blood led up to the dog's position; and Ron's first thought was of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather who also happened to be an unregistered Animangus.  But he quickly refuted that thought; this dog was much smaller than the large black canine that Sirius transformed into. 

                "C'mon, Hermione, we can't just leave it out there to freeze," Ron said quickly, already knowing that Hermione was thinking the very same thing. They ran out into the freezing cold, and while Ron scooped the animal up into his warm arms, Hermione conjured up a heat giving yet harmless flame with her wand. They rushed back inside and laid the poor freezing dog on a soft chair.

                "Man, this little guy must've been wandering through the forest for a long time, he's all beat up and worn out," Ron stated, regarding the sad shape the dog's fur was in. It was matted and messy, full of unmelted snow and, on its legs, a bit of dried blood. 

                "Don't just stand there gawking at him, Ron! Cast a healing spell; I'll start a fire!" Hermione scolded, once again taking charge. With an exasperated sigh, Ron looked at his friend then turned back to the dog, taking out his wand.

                "Sano Velociter," he said quickly, waving his wand gently at the dog. A stream of silvery blue shot out of the end of his wand and surrounded the quieted animal, which didn't make a move. This piqued Ron's curiosity; he had been afraid of frightening the injured animal. But it seemed to know that he was being healed. After the spell had worked itself out, Hermione turned to face Ron and looked impressed with his handiwork, or rather, wandwork.

                "Not bad, Ron! He's looking better already!" She quickly conjured up something for the dog to eat, then put it near the animal, who was just about to fall into a slumber. His ebony coat was still a mess, but the wounds were not longer plaguing him, and he looked a bit more peaceful.

                "Well, it seems I've got a new dog, hey Hermione?" Ron said after a few minutes of regarding the animal. 

                Hermione smiled a bit. "What are you going to name him then? Like Hagrid once said, "He's got to have a name now, don't he?' "

                Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping his wand listlessly against his thigh. He glanced at the dog again; this time regarding the messy black fur that covered the animal and smiled. 

                "Harry seems fitting, don't you agree?"

~*Chapter Two Coming Soon!*~


	2. Transformation

**~*Chapter Two*~ - Transformation**

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                "Still nothing…" Ron said as he read the newspaper; it had been several weeks since the initial discovery that Harry was missing, and Rita Skeeter was eating it up; writing story after unbelievable story about Harry's whereabouts. Well, Ron had thought, this is better than nothing. He was at least thankful that some of what she had wrote was trustworthy, such as the parts that pertained to the photograph on the front (which she didn't write.). Either way, still basking in the uneasy knowledge that Harry was still missing and possibly dead was not at all comforting. Again disposing of the newspaper that would make his mother flip (on the floor), he ran his hand over the now-healed dog's soft fur and smiled. "Do you mind if I tell you something, Harry? I feel that if I don't tell someone; anyone, I might bust." The dog's ears perked up slightly at this, and he wagged his tail gently. Ron smiled a bit and sat up, thinking of where to began. He didn't really think he would have to rehearse it, but he supposed the best place to begin was, of course, the beginning. So, he took a breath and sighed, a faint smile playing upon his lips. "I suppose it was right after Ravenclaw won the Quidditch Cup at the end of our fifth year, no one in Gryffindor was expecting it. When I found Harry, he was sitting in his bed with the curtains half-drawn, looking down and unsure. I noticed that he had been unfocused during the game; I thought it might have been from lack of sleep, or the fact that I had just returned from the hospital wing with Hermione in time to see him play. I had been with him when You-Know-Who  had come for him right before the cup; I had been foolish enough to go against him myself. Harry saved me, narrowly. I guess he didn't think I would live; but seeing me back among the living might have startled him. But when I looked at him as he sat in his bed, covered in mud; his messy black hair dampened with sweat, and that far-off look in his eyes, something more fierce than friendship tugged me over there." Ron paused at this, not quite realizing that he had a slight tinge of blush upon his freckled cheeks. "So, I asked him what was wrong, and told him that if it was the Quidditch match, I still thought he did wonderful. But he told me that it wasn't the Quidditch match; it was because he thought that me might have killed me in the fight with Vold-er, You-Know-Who. It was then that I recognized the fear; he was afraid! I didn't know how I was supposed to respond, my voice kinda caught in my throat." Ron trailed off, stroking the dog absently. "It took me a while to realize…well, that I loved him. I never told him or Hermione," he added quickly. "I didn't want to jeopardize our friendships." 

                Ron, finally finished with his story, glanced down at the warm animal and sighed; the previous smile vanished from his face. "But now…he's missing, and no one has any idea where he is.  I'm worried…" 

                The dog looked up at him with large, friendly eyes, and Ron almost swore that it seemed like he could understand every word of the story. He scratched the animal gently behind the ears then leaned his head back against the pillow, heaving a sigh and falling into a moment of silent thinking.

                He was rudely jolted from his thoughts by the sound of several owls hooting very near to him, each too loud to be Pigwidgeon. For a moment, he even dared to hope that one of the owls might be Hedwig,, but when he got to the front room, he was surprised to see about four owls sitting on his windowsill, each holding a package of some sort. Perplexed, he opened the window manually, only letting it stay that way long enough for the trio of birds to drop their packages in the chair and leave. After shutting it again with an annoyed shiver, he went over to the package-laden seat and picked one up that looked suspiciously like a broomstick. After unwrapping it, he saw with great awe and even more confusion that it was not only a broom, but a Firebolt; one that looked oddly like Harry's old broom. With great care, he set it aside and went for another package, this one substantially larger than the others.

                "Why on Earth do I have Harry's broom?" He asked himself, quite befuddled at the moment. With a last glance at the Firebolt, Ron brought his curious eyes back to the package in his hands. He read that it was all addressed to him, as was the broom, so he unwrapped the box and opened it with a flick of his wand. After the flaps on the box waved open, Ron reached in and pulled out a few long robes; one plain midnight blue, the other a dark crimson. As Ron unfolded the robes, which were in much better conditions that his own, something fell from the folds and hit his foot. When he looked down, he saw in amazement that it was Harry's wand, made of holly wood with a core of a phoenix feather. He quickly picked it up and regarded it carefully; this was starting to get a bit creepy. Gently laying aside the robes and wand, he reached for the last package, which was fairly light considering it's size. It was smaller than the previous package, but he had to steady it with two hands. After unwrapping it, he stopped in utter surprise. It wasn't what he had expected, not at all. Sitting there in his hand, bound by a few thin pieces of twine, was every letter Ron had written to Harry over the last four years; each one opened and neatly saved in its original envelope. Blue eyes wide, he unbound the twine and took a breath of surprise. Even the letters that had never been replied to, like Ron's Christmas invitation, was opened. But why had they not been replied to?

                Ron turned and looked at his feet, where the dog Harry was now sitting and looking up at him with vibrant green eyes. Ron blinked. Green eyes? Was he seeing things? He leaned down towards his pet, looking at him with scrutiny. Then he saw something he had never noticed before. There were markings on the dog's face, dark grey circles that went about his eyes and a slightly lighter marking on his forehead, like a…

                "A lighting bolt?" Ron asked, halfway between hope and fear. He was silent for a long moment, trying to sort this all out in his mind.  It just didn't seem to fit together. But still…

                "Harry?"

                Ron watched in silence as the dog stepped back a few feet from where he had been sitting and slowly began to change; the untidy black fur fell away and canine limbs became human. The fur became long brown traveling robes, except for atop the head, where it stayed and grew a bit longer. Ron started in shock at what had just happened as the restored Animangus turned to face him with gleaming green eyes framed in round glasses, his messy bangs shading his eyes a bit. 

                Harry Potter smiled. "Hey, Ron."

~*Chapter Three Coming Soon!*~


	3. Reunion

**~*Chapter Three*~ - Reunion**

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                Ron sat in his chair, half shocked, half surprised, and all overjoyed. After all this time of him and Hermione worrying, Harry had been right here then entire time! Before his mind could even register what he was doing, Ron had jumped up and yanked his beloved friend into a tight, unceremonious hug, fighting valiantly to hold back his tears.

                "DO you have ANY idea how worried we've been!?" Ron cried, still latched on for dear life. "Not answering my letters in God knows how long, then you vanish and I find out about if from that damned Rita Skeeter in the Daily Prophet-" Ron abruptly let go of Harry's shoulders and began to pace back and forth, flailing his arms in fury. "AND THEN I find out that you've been here at my house ALL along and I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD?!" He was on the verge of ranting by now; still waving his arms about madly. "I thought you were never to be-"

                Ron's tirade was cut tragically short by two strong hands as they grasped his shoulders, spun him around, and stopped. He found himself looking into Harry's eyes, which were filled with mirth. Then without a word, he pulled Ron into an embrace and gently pressed his lips against his, his green eyes closing softly. It promptly brought silence to the room, and astonishment to Ron's blue eyes. He just couldn't seem to grasp the fact that Harry Potter, the one he had loved for so long, was the one who was kissing him. But suddenly, it all came together as Harry pulled away from the kiss, regarding the lingering look of surprise on Ron's features with contentment.

                "Oh wow," Ron said, blushing furiously. "I told you, didn't I?" He had completely forgotten that the dog had really been Harry, and that he had told him EVERYTHING. He suddenly had cheeks that matched his vibrant red hair, but kept grinning nevertheless. "And here I thought you were dead…"

                Harry paused, looking thoughtful. "Well, I almost was dead, I thought I might not make it through the woods to your house. I was running."

                "Running from what?" Ron asked, offering Harry a seat. Harry took it and sighed, seemingly debating his words. "C'mon, Harry; who am I going to tell?"

                Harry looked up from his seat and considered Ron's expression. It was sincere, not conniving in the least, so putting his full trust in his friend; he took a breath and spoke.

                "Where to begin…it's been so long since this all began…" Harry paused, recollecting his thoughts. "About two years ago, Sirius sent me a letter, but this was no ordinary letter. He had been watching Voldemort's followers closely ever since we finally had destroyed the Dark Lord once and for all, and what the letter said worried me. He said that the Death Eaters, the most devout in Voldemort's disciples, had come up again under a new leader, it seemed. A new, extremely powerful leader. He wanted vengeance for the death of his Master…"

                "Vengeance?  On who?" 

                "Us, Ron. You, Hermione, and myself. How many times have we foiled Voldemort's plans of rejoining the living to start a new reign of terror; how many times have the Death Eaters tried and almost succeeded in bringing him from his death, and failed because of us? Then we caused his death and brought people out of the terror they had been living in since his second rising? So when I found out that they were coming for me, I stopped responding to letters for fear of them being trailed back to you or Hermione, and concentrated on learning how to become an unregistered Animangus at Sirius' suggestion. This was two years ago; and when the Death Eaters finally came upon my doorstep, my things were already sent through owl post to Sirius to be sent to you as soon as I instructed him to, and I fled, knowing that I could not combat their extreme numbers by sheer force. So I ran from my home as an inconspicuous dog; no one suspected a thing when I passed the countryside. It took me several weeks to get here from home; but I knew that you were the only person I could come to. Hermione's a Hogwarts teacher; her home would be traced far too easily. They won't be able to trace me as well if I were to come here; and since all of my belongings were addressed to you, the Death Eaters would not know. And now, here I am, and you know what has happened. Although," Harry said, standing and stepped up towards the box, "There was one thing you forgot to remove from the box that held my robes and wand." He reached in and pulled out a long, silvery cloak, a cloak that both Ron and Hermione knew well. "My Invisibility Cloak. Keep this handy, we might need it soon."

                After Harry had finished his story, Ron sat in thought for a long moment. Death Eaters? Back? 

                Not if he could help it.

                "Harry," he said, standing and making his over to his beloved friend, "I don't care if Voldemort himself comes knocking on my door, I'm going to make sure that those damned Death Eaters don't touch you." He smiled with care, and Harry returned the gesture, laying a hand upon Ron's shoulder. But Ron had another question as he picked up a few of the letters and looked at them with awe. "You saved my letters, Harry? But, why?"

            Harry spoke not a word; he merely sat the silvery cloak upon the chair and pulled Ron back into his warm embrace.  His vivid green eyes caught Ron's clear blue eyes for a second, but Ron beat him to the next move as he pressed a tender and loving kiss upon Harry's waiting lips.

~*Chapter Four Coming Soon!*~


	4. The Dark Mark

**~*Chapter Four*~ - The Dark Mark**

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                As the fierce winds of winter past and the warm breath of spring melted away the snow, Ron found himself beginning to gleefully enjoy the Daily Prophet's updates on the disappearance of Harry. He found it very amusing that they were searching everywhere, and the entire time he was sleeping across the hall. It was as though he was in on a giant secret, which, in essence, he was. But the mirth was soon to vanish, vanished on a stormy July night.

                The wind howled ominously outside, and lightening flashed jaggedly across the cloudy sky. The rain had not come yet, but it would soon. The tree branches in the forest beyond were thrashing about wildly; Harry was surprised he could hear himself over the raucous din.

                "Hurry up, Ron! The storm's not going to wait for you to stroll dreamily down the path!" Harry called over the relentless wail of the gales, watching as Ron, half-running, half-stumbling, tried to get closer towards the house. So far, he wasn't having much luck. He had gone to the Ministry of Magic earlier that day to receive his Apparition license, and he had just gotten back. He must've been off-course from where he had planned to apparate, because his face was full of surprise and confusion when he showed up in the middle of the road half a mile from the house. Harry was hanging on to the doorframe of Ron's house, his robes billowing with the vociferous winds as he tried to hurry Ron.

                "I'm trying to get there! The wind's not exactly a nice comfortable breeze, you know!" came his muffled voice. Ron's hair was getting blown hopelessly across his face, and his robes were catching so much of the wind it was as though the oncoming storm was planning on giving him broomless flying lessons.

                When Ron finally made it to the doorstep, Harry took a strong hold on his hand and tugged him inside, fighting against the wind. He closed the door behind them with a slam and locked it, heaving a sigh of relief. 

                "I thought that wind would be the end of you, Ron! What happened?"

                Ron gave him a sheepish look. "Well, I was a bit off-course…First time apparating and all…" 

                Harry smiled when he turned to face Ron; he was indeed a comical sight. His hair was a mess, sticking up in all sorts of interesting directions, while his robes were horribly wrinkled and decorated with a few leaves here and there. On his face was a look of embarrassed discontentment as he tried vainly to straighten out his untidy hair.

                "Your hair looks like mine," Harry quipped, stepping up to him with a smile. Ron scowled a bit. 

                "Yeah, but yours is supposed to do that."

                Harry laughed. "How off-course were you? It took you all day to get there and get back."

                "Well…when I got there, the first thing I had to do was go see the Minister of Magic. Lucky me, he's my brother," Ron began with a note of sarcasm in his voice. "And Percy seemed a bit irritated; he looked as though I had interrupted something when I was led into his office. But I filled out some sheet about apparating, was asked to perform it a few times, and then I would be able to go. So I did everything I was told to do, and I did fine. But when I got back to Percy's office, he was looking a bit uncomfortable. After he signed my license, I asked him what was wrong, as I was about to leave. He said nothing really, but I caught him saying "Death Eater" to himself as I apparated. It must've broken my concentration on getting back here, because when I opened my eyes…I was in the middle of the road, half a mile away from here, and Muggles were walking past and looking at me strangely. It was quite embarrassing, especially when a little girl came up to me as I was trying to walk inconspicuously down the road and asked me if I was trick-or-treating. I couldn't risk apparating again in front of all those Muggles, so I was stuck walking down the road with people looking at me, probably because of my robes and that I was carrying a wand…it wasn't the best thing in the world, I can tell you that."

                "Death Eater? Percy mentioned the Death Eaters? Why would he be talking about them?" Harry asked, a look of worry suddenly playing on his features. 

                "I'm not sure, I wasn't really able to ask him about it seeing that I was halfway out of the place when I heard him say it. I'm sure it was nothing, Harry, don't worry about it. I mean, he IS the Minister of Magic. But I'm going to go change robes and introduce my hair to a brush." Ron tried to get Harry to smile, but a clouded look had come over his features. 

                After changing and attempting to brush his hair out a bit, he went across the hall and stopped in the doorway to take in Harry's form, sitting on the bed with his head down, a look of contemplation on his face. Outside, the rain had begun to pelt against the windows and it had begun to leak in through a tiny crack in the glass. Ron waved his wand at it gently, causing the leak to halt and Harry to look up at him. Ron met his gaze and stepped in, taking a seat beside him on the edge of the bed.

                "Harry, what is it? Are you worried about those Death Eaters? They haven't found you and it's been about 2 and a half years! I don't think that they will find you now. You're safe."

                Harry shook his head. "I'm not so sure, Ron. I haven't heard anything about the Death Eaters since I fled my home…but now, your brother mentions them. They could be waiting out there, waiting for the right time to come and take me. Trust me, they'll come for me first. It's not like them to take two victims at once…they'll want you and Hermione to suffer first before they get you. I'm their primary target…" 

                At this, Harry looked up at Ron with a determined yet fearful look in his green eyes. The lightening flashed outside, casting a momentary flash of light upon his firm countenance. Ron regarded that expression for a few moments, trying to think of something relevant to say in response, but no words came to him. He gently put a hand on Harry's shoulder and ran his other hand over his warm face, brushing a few strands of ebony black hair from his eyes. His fingertips lightly brushed the scar upon his forehead, and he recoiled slightly, not sure if contact would harm the marred skin. 

                Harry caught his hand as it tried to pull back and stopped his movements, catching Ron's cobalt eyes with his own piercing gaze. His grasp was gentle, not truly strong, and he kept his hold, lowering Ron's hand a bit to get a clearer gaze. He took a breath, thoughts of the Death Eaters put aside at the moment, thought not out of mind. Right now, he was determined to keep his mind focused on that which had kept him alive.

                "I love you, Ron…" It had been unspoken for months, but it was unspoken knowledge, both knew of this undeclared attraction, but it was an understood, it didn't need speaking. Harry exhaled gently, waiting for a response, and smiled lightly, the flash of light from outside revealing the calm and joyous expression on Ron's face.  But Ron made no verbal response. Just as Harry was about to speak again, Ron quickly stifled the words with a fierce kiss, conveying his response quite clearly. During the ardent caress, he wrapped his arms about Harry, pulling him into a warm embrace as the dark-haired young man leaned backwards against the soft pillows below.

                Harry complied, all other thoughts save Ron fleeing from his troubled mind. If this were to be his last night living, then he vowed to himself that he would spend it here in his beloved's arms. 

                It was the morning's light that stirred Ron from an otherwise fit sleep. A smile stretched across his boyish face as he moved slightly, reaching for where Harry had laid. His eyes flashed open with unsure curiosity when he found that it was empty, Harry's pillow cold. He sat straight up, hastily rubbing the last dregs of sleep from his blue eyes. He shivered quickly at the sudden onslaught of chill air as it hit his bare shoulders. Taking a breath, he threw off the blankets, cursed at the cool air, and grabbed for his discarded robes, pulling them on as quick as humanly possible. 

                Disgruntled, he rushed through his house, stumbling a bit on the hem of his wrinkled robes as he went. He thought that perhaps he was getting breakfast or taking a shower or something of the like, but he was nowhere to be found. On a final thought, Ron ran out into the warm July morning, looking around for any sight of Harry out near the forest. The grass was wet underneath his feet, as well as muddy from the night's vicious storm. At the very end of his yard, he saw a few pairs of footprints on the mud, leading from and back into the forest. They vanished as they hit the grass, but they were noticeable enough that they were visible from the back door. His heart beating slightly faster, Ron turned back to his house; he needed to get some fresh clothes on. But when he turned, his heart leapt into his throat. Fear seized him, and he found himself unable to move from the horrid spectacle before him. It was the most terrifying thing a wizard can behold…

                The Dark Mark, symbol of Voldemort and his most devout followers, was emblazoned with great pomp and victory upon the white wall of his home. The skull and snake were also one of the vilest things, and to see it upon his own home was repulsing. Ron had only seen the Mark one other time, he had been fourteen, and he and his family had taken Harry to the World Quidditch Cup. The Death Eaters had been there as well, and had used Harry's wand to shoot it up in the sky during their horrid Muggle hunt. But never had it been so close than now.

                "No…he was right…they've come…I don't have the time to lose. I made him a promise, and I won't break it!" His mind made up, he took off for the door of his house, the image of the Dark Mark freshly imprinted upon his mind. If those Death Eaters wanted Harry, they'd have to get through him first. He didn't care how powerful they might be, he and Hermione were going to go get him. He knew he couldn't tackle them alone; it would take wits as well. And there was one person who had plenty of that at the ready.

                He quickly ran into his room and threw off his dirty robes, reaching for new ones, along with clothes to go underneath them. He pulled them on without abandon and yanked on his shoes. Ron also managed to pull a comb through his untidy hair, then threw it down and jumped up. He raced into the main room of his home, grabbed his wand, and stood still, concentrating on getting to Hermione's house. He only hoped that he would get there successfully and would not have to run down the street to get to her place. He didn't have the time for that in the least. Harry's life was at stake.

            "I'm on my way, Harry. Just hang on."

~*Chapter Five Coming Soon!*~


	5. The Search Begins

**~*Chapter Five*~ - The Search Begins**

****

                Hermione sighed as she sat down at her kitchen table and opened up the Daily Prophet. She saw with relief that the headlines were not about Harry being off on his honeymoon with her or that he was dead, but rather, about a wizard who had recently gotten his Apparition license and had inadvertently apparated in the middle of a busy Muggle street. Upon closer examination, her eyes went wide at the picture and didn't know whether to laugh or be exasperated. It showed one very befuddled Ron Weasley making his way down a street as quickly as possible, with a little girl tagging along at his heels and tugging at his robes.

                "Oh dear…Ron, what did you get yourself into this time?" she asked herself, reading the article with amusement. 

                "Oh, good, I made it to where I was supposed to," came a familiar male voice from her living room. "I was afraid I would end up in a completely different town. HERMIONE!!" it screamed, which was accompanied by pounding footsteps. Hermione jumped a mile and whirled around just in time to see Ron come barreling into her kitchen, breathless. "HERMIONE!! THEY'VE GOT HIM! THEY TOOK HIM AWAY!!!" Ron looked completely frantic; he looked like he had gotten dressed in .5 seconds and had barely managed to comb his hair before arriving here.

                "Ron!! RON, slow down! What on Earth are you going on about? Why are you here? Who has taken whom? RON! CALM DOWN!!" Hermione cried, hurrying up to him and putting her hands on his shoulders. She could see the dread and trepidation in his blue eyes, which struck a strange chord in Hermione's mind. She had hardly ever seen Ron this worked up. "Ron," she asked once she had calmed him to silence, although he was still breathing heavily, "What happened?"

                Ron took a few breaths to calm him self a bit, but it didn't do much good. He still appeared beside himself, but managed to speak. "It's Harry, Hermione. He was taken by the Death Eaters…from my house."

                "From your house? What do you mean, Ron, "From your house"?"

                "Remember my dog, Harry?"

                A look of dawning came across Hermione's face as he began to speak of Harry and his trek to his house from the Death Eaters, and how he had become an unregistered Animangus at Sirius' suggestion. "And," he continued, "He knew that if he had come to your home, he would be traced easily, as would you, because of your connection with Hogwarts. That's why he came to my home…and now it's up to us to make sure that those bastards get what's coming to them." His fear had turned into a slowly growing anger, obvious in his pained eyes.

                "Alright, Ron. Send an owl to Sirius explaining what's happened, then we'll go back to your house and begin the search. But where might we begin?"            

                "They left footprints in the mud behind my house; they lead into the forest."

                "But Ron, it might be a trap-"

                "I don't care," Ron interjected, his gaze ferocious. "I don't care what it might be, I'm following those footprints as far as they lead."

                Hermione fixed him with a scrutinizing gaze, as through trying to read his mind to find what was driving his objectives other than to save Harry. She knew he wasn't telling her something, but she respected his privacy and would let him tell her on his own time.

                "Very well, it's the best chance we've got, so I see no reason not to follow it." She got up and beckoned Ron to do the same, which he did, and he followed her as she steeped into her room and picked up her wand. "When we get to your house, send an owl immediately. The quicker we can get on the road. Now let's get going."

                Ron nodded, and in the blink of an eye, they both vanished.

                "Hold still, Pig, I haven't got a lot of time to mess with tying this letter onto you!" Ron said exasperatedly as he fiddled with his tiny owl, which was hooting excitedly at the prospect of sending a letter. He was also successfully evading Ron's grasp, which was irritating Ron even further. "Hold still, you silly owl!" he said, finally tying on his letter triumphantly. 

                "RONALD WEASLEY?! ARE YOU FINISHED YET?" Hermione cried piercingly as he was standing up and hurrying into the living room. She was looking more worried that angry though as he opened a window and let his owl out.

                "I know, I know! He wouldn't stay put while I tried to tie the letter onto him! I'm sorry!" He cried as he closed the window and grabbed his wand, looking frustrated. "Alright, let's go. We can't waste much more time." 

                They were about to walk out into the midday sun when Ron suddenly remembered something, and doubled backed, turning back into the house. Hermione watched him go back inside with a rare look of confusion, then followed him, a look of irritancy on her pretty features. 

                "Ron, what are you doing now? You were the one who were anxious to get going, and now you're dawdling!" She watched as he reached inside a box and pulled out a wand, and then an elegant, silvery cloak. She understood immediately. "That's his wand and Invisibility Cloak."

                "This might come in handy," Ron said seriously, remembering what Harry had told him many months ago. "And he might need his wand…if we find him." 

~*Chapter Six Coming Soon!*~

****


	6. Campfire Talks

**~*Chapter Six*~ - Campfire Talks**

                "Seems like we've been walking forever," Ron stated one afternoon as he and Hermione made their way through the dense foliage, stepping over muddy logs and through rough patches of grass. More than once, their robes got caught on renegade limbs resting on the forest floor and got ripped slightly.

                "It's only been a few days, Ron. We should be nearing a Muggle village soon; probably in a few days. It's a good thing you brought Harry's invisibility cloak; they might see us if they wander out here or as we're passing through. It might be a bit odd for them to see us wandering around with wands, wearing robes, and a silver cloak. But you would know all about being surrounded by Muggles without a disguise, now wouldn't you?" Hermione said slyly, giving him a knowing smile. Ron scowled and blushed, crossing his arms.

                "I'm not amused!" he cried, promptly getting his foot caught against a fallen branch and nearly toppling over headlong into a patch of briars. "Whoa…lucky I caught myself; that would've been fairly painful…"

                This continued on through the day, snatches of conversation passing back and forth as they made their way through the forest. More than once they had to duck underneath the Invisibility Cloak and hide from Muggle children who were playing nearby. But as night fell, they had less to worry about, and made camp for the night. Through the canopy of the trees, they could see the stars twinkling. Hermione had conjured up a warm fire with her wand, and although Ron was usually willing to start up a conversation, she found that he was still gazing up at the sky, a look of serious thought; his eyes held a faraway look.

                "Ron…? Ron, are you alright?"

                Ron jumped a bit and turned to face her with an amazingly serene look, his chin resting in his hand. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine…just thinking." He smiled a bit, and Hermione nodded, returning his smile. She didn't ask any more questions, however. If he wanted her to know, he would tell her.

                As they bedded down that night underneath the stars, she heard Ron sigh. But as she was about to ask again what was wrong, a lonely, far away wolf howled to the glistening moon, as though it was deeply saddened. A few seconds after it died away, it howled again, this time accompanied by the low baying of a dog, far away. It was a haunting lullaby that followed them to slumber.

                "Ow!!" cried Ron the next morning through the haze of sleep; something was hitting him lightly with what felt like wings and tiny talons. He grumpily waved his hand in front of his face to bat away his assailant and rolled over onto his side. The whatever-it-was was relentless, however, and wouldn't stop pestering Ron until he opened his eyes and looked right up.

                With a defeated groan, Ron finally opened his eyes and mumbled something incoherently, and found himself looking up at an ecstatic Pig, which was holding a small, wrinkled piece of parchment in its claws.

                "Pig, you're back! Hermione, Pig's back with Sirius' response!" Ron cried to Hermione, who was already awake and conjuring breakfast. Ron sat up quickly as Hermione managed to get over to his side, and without pretense he took a firm but gentle hold onto his owl and removed the parchment from his talons. While Hermione gave him a bit of their breakfast, Ron unfolded the note and read, his eyes suddenly contorting slightly in confusion.

                "This isn't from Sirius, Hermione…" he said, not with dread, but with perplexion.

                "What? What do you mean it's not from Sirius? Who else would have gotten a hold of Pigwidgeon to intercept the letter?" She looked suddenly worried, but Ron waved away her anxiety with his hand and a smile.

                "Hermione, don't worry. Do you remember our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher during our third year, Professor Lupin?  He wrote this letter in Sirius' stead; Sirius has been out on guard of the Death Eaters, and he had Professor Lupin write it instead. See?" Ron said, showing her "Remus Lupin" scrawled neatly at the foot of the note.       

                "But I wonder how he found Sirius…oh well, now's not the time to dwell on it. We can ask them some other time about it.  What did he say in it?" Hermione asked, handing Ron a sandwich and a glass of iced pumpkin juice.

                "Thanks, Herm," Ron said, taking a generous bite from the sandwich. He washed it down quickly, then handed her the note, which read, 

                _"Dear Ron and Hermione,_

_                                I hope this letter finds you well on your road to finding Harry. When Sirius and I received Ron's letter, he immediately went out in a search for the Death Eaters and asked me to send you a quick response. He should return soon with information on where you might find them; unfortunately, I can't give you any information myself. When Sirius returns with news, we will send an owl to you without delay. Good Luck._

_                                                                                                                Remus Lupin"_

                "Well, it's good to know that Sirius is looking as well. I just hope that he doesn't get caught," Ron said as he finished off his breakfast and stood, stretching a bit. He shook the dust from his hair and dusted his robes a bit, then took his wand and made good work of his sleeping area, making it appear as though no one had been there at all. Tucking his wand back into his robes, he took a deep breath and looked up to the morning sky, not all too different from the morning Harry had been taken. He sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against a tree with a brooding look upon his boyish face, his thoughts drifting from when he had first discovered that Harry was gone to when Harry appeared again and to the night before he was kidnapped again. He smiled at the memories, but it quickly faded when he again realized the weight of what he and Hermione were out to accomplish. He was so lost in his reverie that he failed to see Hermione step up near him and regard his expression carefully.

                "Ron, what are you thinking about?" she asked lightly, watching him charily.

                Ron jumped quickly, obviously startled, and spoke, perhaps all too quickly. 

                "Oh, nothing, really…just worried about Harry."

                Hermione accepted this, but she thought she saw something more in his glistening blue eyes. A look of understanding swept across her face at his sad eyes, and she felt rather thick for not realizing it sooner.

                "You love him, don't you?" she said gently, catching Ron's gaze perfectly. 

                Ron's eyes widened and his ears went pink; he looked embarrassed, surprised, and flustered, all at once. He tried to speak several times, but the words never formed in his mouth; which made him end up stuttering. Hermione smiled a bit as he tried to get a hold of his words, and when he finally did, he drew a breath and smiled a bit, his cheeks and ears still pinkish.

                "I always knew you were the perceptive type, Hermione. It amazed me that you didn't figure that out a few years ago." 

                Hermione's smile widened a bit as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't fret, I know we'll find him. We might even find him before Sirius gets back to us on the Death Eaters' location. I can feel it…"

                Ron returned her smile, and sighed. "Well, we won't find him standing around an empty campsite, now will we? C'mon, he's waiting for us…"

                It was late into the night when they finally stopped. Ahead, they could see the lights of a small village through the slowly diminishing foliage, and could hear the passing of a few bicycles and people walking by. Hermione turned to Ron and put a finger to her lips to silence him, and they quietly began to make camp, calling up a magical fire that gave off heat, but was invisible to Muggle eyes; only wizards could see it.

                "We will be able to pass through the village tomorrow under the Invisibility Cloak; we've traveled too much today to make it through there without making a sound," Hermione reasoned as they settled down next to the fire. Ron's eyes were already starting to droop from fatigue, but he nodded drowsily.

                "Okay, Herm," he said with a thick yawn, putting his hand over his lips in a futile attempt to cover it up. Hermione chuckled at him and shook her head.

                "Go get some sleep, Ron, you look terribly beat-"

                Her remark was cut short by a sudden, shrill scream as it ripped through the still night air. Across the way from where she and Ron were camped, she could make out a deathly green flash of light coming from the village. Her heart leapt into her throat at the green light, but it was what occurred next that brought the full reality slamming into her mind.

                Flashing above them, visible through the canopy of the forest, was a shimmering and horrific omen, one that told of death and fear, one of a skull intertwined with the coiling and slender body of a serpent.

                "The Dark Mark…"

                "They're in the village!" came Ron's suddenly awake voice as he put out the magical flames and reached for the Invisibility Cloak, his wand in hand. Quickly dispelling the proof of their sleeping area, they both hid underneath the cloak and headed for the village. As they neared the edge of the town, the screams and the malevolent, gleeful laughter came to their ears. As they peeked through the brush that separated forest from civilization, the sight made bile rise in their throats. They had only witnessed this most vile spectacle once before; it was one of the Death Eaters' most loved pastimes, the torment of Muggles, the burning of their homes and, sometimes, even their death. 

            "The Muggle Hunt," Hermione said with utter hatred.

~*Chapter Seven Coming Soon!*~


	7. The Death Eaters

**~*Chapter Seven*~ - The Death Eaters**

****

                "We can't just let this happen, Hermione! I mean, your parents are Muggles! And it's terrible!" Ron cried softly, forcing himself not to flail his arms and pull the cloak down. Hermione shushed him quickly with a hand over his mouth and put a thoughtful expression on her face, one of hard scrutiny.

                "We have to wait until we have some of the Death Eaters in view; they might see us jump out against no one and have the upper hand; the element of surprise."

                Ron nodded in understanding, but still looked impatient. "So we just going to sit here and watch these poor Muggles die? It seems like a raw deal, Herm…"

                But at that exact moment, she tugged at the collar of Ron's robes and pointed as a long parade of black-cloaked figures rushed down the street, tossing fire and other spells of devastation from the tips of their desecrated wands. The night air filled with malicious laughter, and Hermione nodded. 

                "Let's go, Ron!"

                She didn't even have to tell him, for as soon as she opened her mouth, Ron burst from the bushes, the Invisibility Cloak still on his shoulders but fallen from his face, giving the impression that he was merely a floating head.

                "Ron, wait! You foolish git! What do you think you're doing?!" Hermione called, jumping out after him.

                "MULTIM INFIRMO!!" Ron shouted fiercely, pointing his wand at the nearest gathering of Death Eaters. A long red jet of light emitted from his wand as it streaked through the night air. As it fired into the small gathering, the first four of five dropped to the ground, alive, but greatly weakened and unable to fight.

                Hermione would've taken the time to commend Ron for his excellent spell casting, but she suddenly found her own target. A large swath of Death Eaters was coming towards her, and they were hurling different curses and spells towards her. Flashes of green light accompanied shouts of "Avada Kedavra!", but Hermione was smarter than that to stay in one place. She jumped to the side and went into a roll, kicking up dust about herself. When she came to stand again, she coughed a bit and screamed at Ron to go to the other side of the village where the screams had erupted anew. She cast the same spell Ron had just before, and many more Death Eaters dropped. She knew it wouldn't be a lasting effect, so as Ron ran off, she called out to him, "Use the Sleeping Death spell!! It only puts them into a death like trance!"

                "Okay!" she heard Ron's far away reply, and she turned back to her own problem. She raised her wand and pointed straight at them, took a breath, and let loose.                

                "Domino Lectum!" she cried viciously as an invisible stream of magic swept over the entire group, almost instantaneously dropping them into a death-like sleep.  Only one remained standing, a tall, cloaked figure whose identity was hidden from view. He chuckled maliciously and lowered his own wand.

                "So…his friends have indeed come."

                And he vanished. Hermione knew she recognized that voice, but she couldn't quite place it. She would have to worry about it later. Ron needed help, as did the small village. She ran past many smoldering and smoking houses, their owners running through the streets with terror in their faces. As she passed, she managed to extinguish a few flaming homes. She was following the new screams now, those probably caused not only by Death Eaters but by a certain Weasley's disembodied head, floating through that air as it cast spells from an equally disembodied arm. As she turned a corner, her guesses were confirmed when she saw Ron, or rather, his head and arm, bobbing down the street, his feet also visible from his running. He was flinging the Sleeping Death like never before, and had to laugh inwardly at his comical appearance.  But now was not time for humor. She had to get rid of some of these guys that were swooping in behind Ron.

                "DOMINO LECTUM!" she screamed, letting loose a barrage of the spell, watching as her opponents fell before her. Then, it was all over. As suddenly as it had happened. The remaining Death Eaters laughed as Ron reached them and raised his wand, and apparated, laughing maliciously. The night was silent again, save for the crackling of fires and the sobs of men, women, and children. 

                Ron, looking troubled, walked up to Hermione, not realizing he still looked like a floating head. He glanced back to where the Death Eaters had previously been standing. "That's so weird…this was no random attack, Hermione."

                "I know, but right now the best thing to do is repair the damage that was done here. We can't have a word of this going back to the Muggle newspapers or the Daily Prophet. But you need to send Percy an owl and tell him what's happened. If he was worried about Death Eaters then he should know all about this. You go take care of that while I put Memory Charms on these poor people, and while you're at it, try and repair any damage you see."

                Ron nodded, and as he was walking off to find Pigwidgeon, Hermione called back to him.           

            "And take off that damn cloak! You wonder why some people are still screaming?"

~*Chapter Eight Coming Soon!!*~


	8. Percy's Owl

**~*Chapter Eight*~ - Percy's Owl**

****

                "Have you gotten anything from Percy yet?" Hermione asked about two days later as they made their way across an expansive meadow, the sky clouded by thick grey thunderheads. Ron shrugged listlessly; he had been distant since Hermione had mentioned what that stray Death Eater had told her. "Ron, that tells me nothing. Did you, or did you not get a response from your brother?"

                "No, okay? Not a word! I'm sorry, Hermione, but I've been on edge a bit as of late! What if we lose our way? What if we get there and he's not there and it was all a set up? What if we get killed on the way? What if-" Ron paused, trying not to think the words that were already formed in his mouth. "What if…he's dead when we get there?"__

                Hermione put a hand on his shoulder. "Then we probably won't be far behind him…I'm not trying to discourage you, but I'm simply telling the truth. All we can hope for is that there's only a small number of them…"

                Ron turned and looked at her seriously. "Nothing…nothing can discourage me from this, Hermione. I don't care if Voldemort and all the creatures of Hell came and had it in for me, nothing would keep me from getting to his side. Because, if he's dead when we get there, then they're going to kill us too…and I've reached my goal either way." He turned from Hermione's gaze and looked up into the grey sky. "Do you hear me!? Nothing!!" He cried angrily into the air, his voice echoing across the meadow.

                Hermione was a bit surprised by his powerful outburst, and took a moment to admire his courage. Anything but spiders couldn't stand in his way, she thought, and smiled, but a small movement in the sky caught her eye.  She looked up into the gloomy sky and saw a swiftly moving object nearing them; an object that looked strangely like a large tawny owl carrying a letter.

                "Hey, Ron," Hermione began, putting a hand on his shoulder and pointing to the sky, "Do you think that's Hermes?" she asked, referring to Percy's owl. Ron looked up and squinted a bit as the thing came closer, and he nodded quickly. 

                "Yeah, I think it is!" he cried, and ran quickly to meet the owl. Hermes landed on Hermione's outstretched arm and hooted once while Ron removed the letter from his strong talons. He ripped open the sealed envelope while Hermione conjured up a reward for Hermes, and he began to read aloud after Hermes took flight again.

                "This looks like it was written very quickly and hastily; I wonder why," Ron said, then began to read,

_                                "Ron and Hermione,_

_                                                You really need to be careful, Ron, both of you. The Death Eaters are not foes to toy around with. They mean business. I heard about a faction of them rising recently, and I sent an Auror and a few of the top Ministry members to investegate. You should meet at least one of them when or if you find the lair. I just received word that they themselves have found the place; sadly I am unable to give you exact directions because the information is classified. Good luck._

_                                                                                                                Percy"_

                Ron folded up the note and put it away, and nodded. "Don't think that just because the Ministry of Magic is involved now that I'm going to give up on searching, Herm."

                "I never said it would, because I knew saying anything like that would be futile. But he sent an Auror too? Wow, I'm impressed."

                The two began on their long trek again, and as the rain began to fall lightly, they noticed that just over the line of nearby trees, its turrets barely visible to the eye, was the outline of a castle. Any Muggle human eye would not have seen the strange goings on that were taking place above those dilapidated towers, but to a wizard or witch, the sign of dark magic was never more prominent.

                "We've found them."

            It was only an hour's walk away.

~*Chapter Nine Coming Soon!*~


	9. The Keep of Darkness

**~*Chapter Nine*~ - The Keep of Darkness**

****

                "Hermione, we can't risk us being seen; they can't see invisible people," Ron realized as they reached the edge of the trees. Before them lay a dilapidated old castle, crumbling and in quite sad shape. But the dark magic that emanated from it was enough to prickle the hair on the backs of both their necks. Gently pulling out the shimmering Invisibility Cloak, Ron looked at Hermione and nodded, then slipped it over their heads, rendering them invisible to all. "Now all we need to do is get to that huge door over there and then we can find Harry and get out of there. But how do we get in?"

                Hermione groaned. "Honestly Ron, didn't you read anything after graduation?"

                Ron looked indignant; he almost made the sarcastic remark, "Nope, never read before graduation either!", but he decided against it when he saw the volatile look she was giving him. 

                "Oh, never mind. There's a spell I know that we can use to get in! Now come on, quickly!" 

                "SHH! They may not be able to see us but they sure will be able to hear us if you keep that up!" Ron hissed at her, yanking her back into the clove of trees. "Geez!"

                Hermione shook her head. "Never mind, we're not going to get anywhere arguing like that."

                Quietly, after the small squabble was taken care of, they made their way up the overgrown path that led to the massive door. The closer they got to the entrance, the more dark energy the felt. More than once, Ron shivered involuntarily, but he kept up his pace, making sure not to let the cloak slip from his body and reveal himself to any guards that might be lurking or that possess a scrying device.  Harry was inside these walls, Ron knew it, and anyone be damned who try to stop him. 

                When they came upon the door, Hermione silently and slowly pulled out her wand, looking thoughtful. She turned to Ron with purposeful eyes and took a breath, her russet eyes glistening with courage.

                "Here we go, Ron. No turning back now. Are you ready?"

                Ron nodded, and she turned back to the door, touching it with the tip of her wand.

                "Phasma Phasmatis," she whispered, and both watched in amazement as the door went blurry around the edges.

                "What was that spell, Herm?" Ron asked quietly, not wanting to touch the door just yet. Hermione smiled superiorly.

                "It's the Intangibility spell, Ron. Very powerful, but it took me months to learn it. Let's go now, we mustn't waste any more time."

                Without so much as another word, both gingerly stepped towards the door, and watched in amazement as their cloaked bodies passed through the seemingly solid door, and then they found themselves standing in an otherwise empty room, the main entryway of the old castle. Old mildewed tapestries hung tattered from the walls, and dust was collected on the red carpet below. But no one was there.

                "What do you suppose these Death Eaters are playing at, Hermione?" Ron asked warily, his blue eyes glancing around the dreadfully dim room.

                Just as the words left his mouth, the unlit torches that ran along the sides of the damp granite walls lit up with fierce flames in swift succession until it reaches the end of the wide corridor. Both jumped and whirled around, and felt a quick swish as the Invisibility Cloak was whisked brusquely from about their bodies. Their wands also flew from their grasps, and both watched in horror and confusion as two black-cloaked figures appeared at the far end of the corridor, their identities hidden by concealing black hoods. The taller cloaked figure raised his hand to catch the stolen items in a ready grip while the other began to laugh, a hearty, malicious laugh…a familiar laugh.

                "Come to save your precious Potter? I knew you would come, Weasley, always ever loyal, especially after what I saw when my Death Eaters and I came to your house for Potter," the laughing Death Eater proclaimed with more than a note of disdain in his voice. "Hmm, and I see you've brought friends along. Perfect."

                "Who are you and what have you done with Harry?" Hermione asked angrily, her fists clenched at her sides. She felt so helpless; she hated it. The Death Eater laughed again.      

                "Why, I'm their leader," he replied, tossing back his hood proudly. "Draco Malfoy."  

                "I suspected as much, Malfoy!" Ron cried furiously. "The apple never falls far from the tree, and you were no better. I always knew you'd make one hell of a Death Eater." Ron's voice was full of unbridled hatred, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Where is Harry?"

                Draco laughed again, his arms crossed. "You said all of that like it's a bad thing. Very well, Weasley, here's your Potter." The blond haired young man raised a hand and snapped his fingers, and a figure appeared at his and his comrade's feet, broken and battered. Glasses askew and green eyes barely open, Harry lay there; it was a wonder he was still alive just be judging his haggard appearance. 

                "Harry!" Ron cried wildly. Hermione tried to hold him back while fighting her own horror, but she failed, and Ron charged forward, ready to strangle Malfoy with his bare hands if necessary. 

                "Evandius Moenia!" The cry came not from Malfoy, but from the one who had their wands and the cloak. He had his wand raised and as he cried this spell, Ron could've sworn he knew that voice.

                "Ron! Watch out! He just cast an invisible barrier between us and them!" cried Hermione. Ron came to a halt and put his hands forward, touching the solid but translucent wall.

                "Damn you bastards, let him go!!" he cried, banging his fists upon the barrier futilely. His face was full of uninhibited fury and abhorrence at these two. He was also dreading; the trepidation at discovering the other Death Eater's identity.

                Hermione ran forward, her face also full of loathing as the firelight danced victoriously in Draco's gleaming eyes. "What have you done with the people from the Ministry? How were you able to defeat the Auror?" she demanded.

                "I never sent an Auror, nor did I send any Ministry people," the other Death Eater said suddenly and emphatically, putting a hand to the cowl of his hood and pushing it back with one swift motion. "I only sent myself."

                Hermione gasped and stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. Draco made sense; it made sense for him to be in this dark society…but this, this was unreal. It couldn't be true…"

                Ron felt his stomach sink and his mouth go dry. 

            "Percy…"

~*Chapter Ten Coming Soon!*~


	10. The Minister of Magic

**~*Chapter Ten*~ - The Minister of Magic**

****

                There was no mistaking him; the flaming red hair, the horn-rimmed glasses…Ron realized in horror why he had initially recognized his voice. He had always been very ambitious, and Ron had even once said that he never thought it out of Percy's capacity to throw any of his family to the dementors. But he never once thought that his thoughts would become a horrifying reality. Ron cast his eyes across the firm, calm face of his brother and foe, then down again to the broken form of Harry, who had opened his eyes slightly and was looking up at him with a gaze like he didn't really realize that he and Hermione were there. Ron clenched his fists again and closed his eyes, looking back up into Draco's sneering face and attempting to avoid the painful sight of his brother as a Death Eater.

                "Why, Percy…why did you do this?" he asked quietly, dangerously. Percy offered him no reason, and at his silence, Ron looked up, forcing himself to look directly into his brother's eyes for any last semblance of reasoning, but all he found was an unnerving cold hardness.

                "I'm sure Harry told you everything you need to know, Ron. We just want vengeance," Percy finally said evenly, the folds of his long black robes moving a bit with his slight movements. "Vengeance for the death of our master."

                _"NO! Percy, he's not your master!! He's dead! What about us, your family, Percy?!"_ Ron wanted to scream; he wanted to force Percy to see the err of his ways. But he could tell by the stony look in his brother's face, the glint of iniquity in his sapphire eyes, that he would not be persuaded otherwise. 

                "What will you do with us?" Hermione asked with a quavering voice, more so from shock than fear. Ron could see it in her trembling hands. Draco smirked, taking over the floor for Percy.

                "We kept Potter alive just for that reason, we have to keep you all alive for a bit longer…then after that time is up, we can perform the ritual. Our master bids that we let you suffer as you have made him suffer…long and painful…but unlike The Dark Lord, you must watch your friends suffer as well, suffer until the life is almost gone from their minds and soul. Also unlike our master…your souls can be broken…his can only be strengthened by vengeance. You walked right into our conniving trap. You will join Potter; Percy and I shall see to your torture personally." With this, he turned to Ron and laughed evilly. "It's nice to see that one of your worthless siblings amounted to something, Weasley! I never thought anyone productive might come from your parents. I suppose I was wrong."

                If Ron and Hermione wanted to attack Draco for such blasphemous sayings, they never got the chance. Almost as soon as these words escaped his mouth, the room began to vanish before them, phasing between the corridor and a cold, dim room. Water dripped from the unseen ceiling, and a faint sound of raspy breathing echoed through the dank place.

                "Hermione…what just happened?" Ron asked, his voice still angry and fearful. He glanced in her general direction as she stood and pulled her robes closer about her body.

                "I think they teleported us in here from the corridor…we're lucky it didn't go terribly wrong…"

                "Well, Percy's a damn good wizard; I'm sure he could do it just fine," Ron replied bitterly. The haunting thought of his brother in those robes of malevolence was still almost too much to bear; even the thought of him calling Voldemort "Master" was revolting.  "Why did he do this, Hermione? Why…Mum and Dad were never terrible to him; if anything, Mum favored him! How long has he been with the Dark Side? Has it been since before we graduated?" It was almost too much for Ron's weary mind to comprehend. "And now…we're going to be fodder for Voldemort's damned spirit…what a way to go…" He realized that it had been the first time he had ever said the Dark Lord's name and not flinched; it reminded him of Harry's reaction to the forsaken name. Harry really had more of an impact upon Ron than he had initially realized.

                "There's got to be a way to escape this place, Ron; all we have to do is find it," Hermione evaluated, looking thoughtful. Ron put his hands upon her shoulders and looked her frantically in the eyes.

                "Hermione!? Has it even crossed your mind yet? We're in a castle that reeks of dark magic, Death Eaters, and the spirit of Voldemort without so much as a wand to defend ourselves, and we're most likely going to end up dead!! There's not going to be a way out of this, Hermione…"

                "I thought nothing was going to stand in your way, Ron…but now you seem resigned to your fate."

                Ron looked at her through the dim light. "I also said that if they kill us all, then I have reached my goal…we're together again, just not in life…resigned to my fate, yes…but my eyes are never from my goal."

                A soft shuffle came from the far end of the room, and it about then they the two new captives saw a crumpled form moving slowly in the far corner. They could make out a distinctly human shape under the tattered robes, and then a soft, tortured voice penetrated the air like an arrow.

                "Ron…Hermione…you've come…"

            It was Harry.

~*Chapter Eleven Coming Soon!*~


	11. Torture

**~*Chapter Eleven*~ - Torture**

                Those eyes…even the dim light of the room nor the dreadful things that they had done to him, could dampen the gleam in Harry's vibrant emerald eyes. He smiled weakly and forced himself to sit up, although he was leaning heavily against the wall for support.

                "Harry," Ron said quickly, knowing bitterly that those bastards had tormented him within an inch of his life, then stopped, leaving him alone in this room with a spell keeping him alive. It was a wretched existence, both he and Hermione knew, and they also knew that they too, would soon experience the terrors of those horrendous torture methods.  Both ran across the low room towards him, not wanting to waste any time before the Death Eaters came by. Ron got there first and fell roughly to his knees, tearing his robes a bit, and gently pulled Harry into an embrace, closing his eyes tightly and letting out a shuddered sigh. He felt a slight smear of warm blood against his palms as he pulled Harry into his embrace; it was almost the only warmth that radiated from his bruised body. It was then that Ron felt the pent up tears well up in his eyes, all the fear, dread, shock, and stress coming forth in a steady stream of silent weeping. He felt Harry, weak as he was, pull his face from his shoulder and again saw himself looking into those calm, loving green eyes.

                "I thought I had lost you…" Ron said, his voice soft and barely audible. He felt soft fingertips wipe a few tears away from his freckled cheeks, and he couldn't help but manage a smile in spite of their predicament.

                "I wondered whether or not I would see either of you again…but why did you take it upon yourself to do this? You knew that the Death Eaters were after you…and I'm sure you told Hermione…so why did you risk your lives for me?"

                "Because," Ron began, catching Harry's hand, "They took the one thing that I would miss the most…"

                Harry smiled gently at Ron's allusion to the Second Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament; that seemed like such a distant time ago now. How ironic it had been that the task had been to save the one thing or person that he would miss the most, and it had been Ron.

                "Ron, Harry," Hermione said suddenly, catching their attention. 'I hear footsteps from outside the door." She looked worried and angry as she stood in front of the two lovers. Ron fixed his blue eyes with a glare as the door swung open, flooding the room with magical light, and in breezed two figures, Draco and Percy. Hermione could see that Percy still held their wands in his robes' pocket, taunting them as he walked. Draco was merely smiling wickedly in their direction, and laughed.

                "I'm touched, Weasley; even faithful in the face of death. I shall indeed enjoy killing Potter in front of your eyes; it will please both me and our master greatly watching both of you suffer to the end."

                "You evil; you vile, wretched-!" Hermione cried out suddenly, but was unable to finish due to anger. She stepped forward a bit towards Draco and Percy. However, she was stopped as Draco raised his wand to her with a knowing smile and chuckled. 

                "I wouldn't take another step, Mudblood," Draco replied, the tip of his wand beginning to glow a slight green. "My master does not disagree to killing when provoked if necessary." He smirked; his wand still pointed at her, and Hermione felt her disgust rise when she felt Draco's eyes upon her. She directed her eyes to his and saw that he indeed was casting his eyes all about her, taking in her slender, feminine form with more than just a passing interest. "Hmm…perhaps I had been wrong about you before; although still a Mudblood…hmm…" Draco's smile widened; Hermione could read the lust in his eyes quite easily, and spat in his eye, causing him to recoil in slight disgust and surprise.

                "Why you little-"

                "Draco," Percy interjected suddenly, his voice even. He placed a knowledgeable hand upon his compatriot's shoulder and shook his head. "Our Master might not find it satisfactory to have one of his beloved Death Eaters seen in the same bed with one who has defeated him before…he might consider it treason."

                Draco looked over to Percy quickly with a firm look, but nodded after a few moments in agreement. 

                "You're right; I'm not even here for her…I'm here for more important prey." Without another word, Draco extended his right hand and pointed directly to Ron. Ron jerked weirdly and was wrenched from Harry's grasp by a powerful and invisible hand, and was brought before the blond and his brother.

                "You shall be my next victim, Weasley. You won't be yourself for a while, I'm afraid!" Draco laughed terribly, and he quickly raised his wand again, pointing it at Ron's eyes. "Jugis Vigilo," he said, and grinned wickedly. Behind him, Ron could hear Hermione gasp a bit. "That little spell will keep you awake for this…you won't be able to fall into blessed unconsciousness during this." Now, Draco pointed his wand a bit higher, and pressed it coolly against Ron's temple, just below his hairline. "Memor Macero…" Draco whispered wickedly, watching as the spell occurred and Ron's brilliant azure eyes went dull and wide, as though full of fear and horrible images.

                "NO!" Hermione cried; she was now kneeling next to Harry. "That's inhuman! How could you perform such a dreadful mental torture on him? It could destroy his mind! Percy!" She began to plead to the stern Minister, trying to get him to urge Draco to relent. "Percy, he's your _brother!!! _Your own flesh and blood! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

                Percy turned to her solemnly, his glasses gleaming from the dancing firelight. "I have no family but the Death Eaters. They are my family now." And with that, he turned back to face Ron, who was soundlessly screaming, his eyes wide in terror at the unseen images that were laid out before his face.

                "We'll leave him to you two now. The curse should wear off in a few hours…if it doesn't completely destroy his mind beforehand." Draco let another bone chilling laugh, and he breezed out of the door, Percy stepping out behind him with a superior swish of his black cloak, the wands clicking against each other mockingly. The door slammed shut, and the three were left alone again. Ron was standing on the ground, his back facing them, and his head was bowed, and his hands were on his face. His breathing was getting heavier, and a soft sound escaped from his throat, one of suppressed terror.

                "Ron…?" came Harry's voice, unsure. He wrinkled his brow in concern as he pulled himself to his feet. Every muscle in his body screamed at him from fatigue and pained disagreement, but he ignored them and stood, leaning against the wall slightly as he tried to regain his balance. He saw Ron begin to tremble, gently at first, and slowly more violently. 

                "Get…get away...stay away from me…"

                "Ron!" Hermione screamed at him, but her cry fell upon deaf ears. She turned to face Harry and came to his side, helping him balance himself.

                "What's happened to him, Hermione?" Harry asked, looking into her shadowed eyes seriously. She bit her lip.    "Mental torture…of the worst kind. It's cast to destroy the victim's mind; just as a Dementor's Kiss is bestowed to destroy one's soul. I know there is a counterspell, but I only ran across the words a few times…"

                "You've got to remember them, Hermione! Try!" Harry urged, panic beginning to show through his glimmering jade eyes.

                "I've been trying!"

                The otherwise silent room suddenly erupted with noise as a terrible, truly terrified scream of pain and torment echoed about the room. Both looked to Ron suddenly and gasped, for he was running forward towards a large, shattered mirror. He raised a hand and pummeled the fogged mirror with his fist, sending shards of glass across the floor and slicing against the skin on his arms.

                "No!" Hermione cried, but Harry was quicker. With all the strength he might muster, he sprang forward and ran haphazardly towards Ron, who was lifting a large shard of glass and was raising it above his arm. He was shouting something indecipherable in horror, his wide eyes dull as though he were blind. Harry leapt towards him and fell headlong against him, causing Ron to drop the shard and send it careening across the grimy floor as they fell to the floor, knocking the wind of both of them. Harry put his hands against Ron's bleeding arms, wincing as he felt the blood run across his hands, and pinned Ron to the floor, turning back to Hermione.

                "Quick! Think of the counterspell! I can't hold him back for long!" He turned back to lay his green eyes upon his horrified lover, who, in his jinxed mind, saw not Harry, but a vicious winged demon of the Abyss that was above him, its clawed, hellish hands ripping into his bloodstained arms. "Hermione!!! Hurry!!" Harry cried again, still facing his tormented lover. "Ron, Ron, it's me!"

                Hermione stood a few feet behind, frantically trying to think of the words for the counterspell. So many terms wafted through her head as she heard Ron's screams and Harry's shouts, but none seemed right.  Suddenly, her nimble mind became clear, and she quickly put a hand out, being without a wand. 

                "I don't know how well this will work without a wand, but-" she took a breath, "Subueino Somnio!"

                Her voice echoed throughout, although still undermined by the ghastly shrieks of insanity that ran rampant throughout the room. But unexpectedly, the shouts ceased, and all became quiet again save for Ron's still labored breathing.

                "Did it work, Harry? Is he…is he alright?" Hermione said, hurrying up to the two. Harry kept his body against Ron's just in case he was not healed, but he looked up into her concerned eyes with uncertainty.

                "I'm not sure, Hermione…" Harry then turned his eyes back to Ron, who was still unmoving. He looked as though he was nothing more than a mindless automaton; his mind gone from the devastating effects of the wicked curse. "Ron…are you still there?"

                His blue eyes blinked, and they suddenly seemed less clouded; more alert. He took a long breath and exhaled, the sweat still evident on his forehead. He said nothing for a long time, simply staring up into Harry's worried eyes in silence, as though his mouth didn't work anymore. His vision was clearing; no longer was a terrible Abysmal Hellspawn pinning him down in a death grip, but now there was the blurry image of Harry coming into focus. It was a calming vision.

                "Harry…it-was terrible…hellish creatures…at every turn…they were crawling on my skin, tearing at my very being. I thought I might go insane…and then a demon, most vile of all, leapt from the fires and attacked me, gripping my arms as his claws dug into my skin…then I heard a voice shout and…"

                "Hermione knew the countercurse…thank God she reads her books…" Harry said thankfully, then looked back to Hermione, who was kneeling and smiled at him, her brown eyes full of relief. "Otherwise…" Harry didn't finish his sentence, and let out a long pent up breath. Ron winced suddenly, the pain in his bleeding arms suddenly becoming a harsh reality. He cursed loudly as Harry helped him sit up, then groaned, the aftereffects of the terrible mental torture still washing over him. But he did not let this show; he had much more important things to dwell on at the moment.

                "I hope that I'm wrong when I say this," Hermione began again, looking suddenly unsure, "But I think the Memormetuo Curse is a curse that can only ebb…and not be banished unless the wizard who cast it is killed, captured, or stops it himself…I can't do anything permanent, especially without my wand-"

                "That's right, Granger," came a voice from the doorway.  All three turned their heads to see Percy, alone this time, dissolving from the door with an unsympathetic expression on his handsome features. "But my master cannot allow you to try and aid my," he paused for a moment, casting a glance at Ron, bloody and glaring on the floor, "My _brother_, with your pathetic countercurses." There was an obvious note of disdain in his voice as he spoke the word, 'brother'. "So Lord Voldemort commanded that you be taken to a separate room and…dealt with accordingly." He outstretched his hand and mentally commanded Hermione to come to him, which she did, being unable to break the more powerful, more experienced wizard's control. 

                "Don't let Ron get loose again! Be careful-" and Hermione and Percy were gone.

                After they vanished, Harry slumped beside Ron against the wall and looked at him. He could see him visibly shaking, most likely not from fear, but from the renewed advent of his demons.

                "Ron?"

                "H-Harry…don't let them get me…please…save me from them…they've come back, and there's more!" Ron's voice, which had begun at a soft, trembling tone, was slowly gaining volume and more tremor with each syllable. "Harry!!" His eyes had glazed over again, and that same look, one of pure horror and desperation, formed on his boyish face. Harry grabbed him by his unmarred shoulders and held him fast before the demons overtook him once more and help him tight in an embrace, fighting to keep at least part of Ron's mind with him.

            "I love you, Ron, just listen to my voice! Just listen to my voice…I'll protect you…"

~*Chapter Twelve Coming Soon!*~


	12. The Ritual

**~*Chapter Twelve*~ - The Ritual**

****

                Minutes turned to hours, and hours passed into days without word from neither Percy nor Draco. Ron was getting worse, but he had some control over his actions due to the lingering effects of Hermione's countercurse. No food was made readily available, and both had to make due with what Harry could conjure without a wand in his weakened state. Most of the time this was two small sandwiches and tiny cups of fairly cool water. But it was better than nothing, and many times, Ron was unable to down it due to the curse. 

                God knows Harry didn't try to keep his love calm. He was by his side every hour of the day, keeping him wrapped in his warm and safe embrace. He ran his shaking fingers through Ron's soft copper hair soothingly, continuously telling that as long as he was there, he wouldn't let the creatures get him. This kept the room fairly quiet; the curse was less devastating.

                "I wish we could get out of this hell…I hope Hermione is alright…I only hope that she is better off than us…"

                Suddenly, the door slammed open, causing Harry to squint. When his eyes adjusted, he saw Percy standing there, flanked by several Death Eaters, their faces hidden by cloaks.

                "What do you want this time?" Harry spat out bitterly, pulling Ron closer towards him. Percy merely smiled, an awful, malevolent smile. He raised his wand and pointed it at Ron, and Harry gasped as his went limp in his arms. "What did you do to him?" Harry demanded, shaking Ron gently. Percy lowered his wand and continued to smile.

                "My master has grown impatient. He demands the ritual be performed now. I have merely broken Draco's previous curse on him so that he may witness his death to the fullest. Up!" Percy commanded, pointing to both of them. Ron was now awake and somewhat alert; glaring with fear and anger into his brother's face. Percy's command summoned them magically to their feet, and with his magical grip, he pulled them out of their containment area and into the hall, waiting as another flock of cloaked figures approached, Hermione in tow. She looked dirty and bruised; a black eye was beginning to show upon her pretty features. She wore long, heavy, magical chains on her wrists, and was looking at her captors with utter animosity.  She looked just as starved as her friends; there was a slight stagger in her step.

                "Hermione!" Ron cried out, but he was silenced by a deadly look from his brother.  He furrowed his brown angrily but knew better than to speak for fear of the reactivation of that terrible curse. Harry took his hand tightly, and they fell into the ranks, walking in between Percy and the Death Eaters, with Hermione bringing up the rear. They seemed to be going upwards on an incline, when they reached a spiraling staircase. Percy grabbed the nearest torch from its metal holder and led them upstairs until they reached a large, foreboding door at the top. It reminded Harry of the large door that led into the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but instead of peals of laughter emitting from behind the door, haunting shrieks leaked through the door into their ears, sending involuntary shivers up and down the three captives' backs. The Death Eaters seemed unshaken, and Percy shoved the door open with an air of superiority, letting it creak nastily as it revealed the chamber within.

                "Ah, I see you've brought them in," Draco's proud voice came as they entered, and Percy nodded, the firelight from the torch dancing about his features and casting a gleaming sheen about his red hair. He turned and faced the Death Eaters when he reached Draco's side and nodded to the lower minions, who began to shove Ron and Harry inside. The room was filled with several cloaked figures, and it was dim with the light of torches. It took a few moments for the three to realize that the shrieks were not coming from the room, but rather, a large, swirling mirror that hung against a wall behind Draco and Percy. Low moans and otherworldly cries sounded louder and louder with each passing instant it seemed, and as Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to a stop before the two leaders, those flanking the captives fanning out to join their ranks. "Our master grows hungry for vengeance…" 

                Percy smiled at Draco in affirmation, then they both turned to the mirror, which perplexed Ron and Harry a bit. But Hermione's russet eyes were wide in horror. They both looked over to her and gave her a confused look.

                "Hermione?"

                "That's an Incripto Inferi mirror…its magical properties allow the owner to call on dead spirits, any spirit you wish, and speak to them. Rarely is it used to call upon goodly spirits…"

                "Master!" called out Draco, raising his robed arms in reverence, "We have brought them before you! As you wished, they have suffered much and seen the face of death several times, and still they live to witness your powerful wrath! What do you decree, my master?"

                "Only faithful…all present must be faithful…I can sense that only two of you have remained loyal to me…" came a hissing voice, a voice that Harry had heard many times. He winced and put a hand to her forehead, where the scar there had begun to burn again, more wild and lingering that he could've imagined. "Take all those who shamefully hide their faces from the presence of Lord Voldemort away; they do not have the right to witness my final victory." 

                Percy looked around and saw what the Dark Lord meant. Take all those who keep the cowls of their cloaks over their faces and make sure they are taken care of. Percy smiled to himself; his plan was working more perfectly than he thought it would. He turned back to the mirror and bowed lavishly.

                "I shall take them from the chamber and show them the will of your mercy, my Master Voldemort. They shall go unarmed so as not to disrupt your will."

                Percy then turned quickly to the large gathering of Death Eaters and pointed his wand at them all, a stern look on his face. All of them tensed up.

                "Expelliarmus!" he cried, his booming command ringing throughout the hall. Immediately, several wands came soaring from their owners' hands and landed in a neat pile at Draco's feet. He lowered his wand then and nodded to Draco, then smirked at his subordinates. "Follow me."

                Percy turned, his robes fluttering domineeringly as he did so, and rigidly beckoned to the other figures, leaving Draco and his three captives alone and in peace with the vile mirror. The door slammed mercilessly shut as the last Death Eater left the room, and Draco smirked. 

                "Now we wait for Percy to return…" He looked at his hostages with a mirthful, evil gleam in his eyes, and kicked the pile of wands aside, scattering them into a large mess. He chuckled softly, then paused. "Any moment now…"

                "Avada Kedavra!" came Percy's strident voice from beyond the door, and Ron couldn't help but jerk his head up at this, then lower his eyes in shame. His own brother…a murderer…if he were to be caught, he would head for a worse fate than death at the hands of the Azkaban guards. 

                A few moments later, Percy walked back in, looking a bit shaky but firm and collected, and put his wand, still glowing a faint green, back into his pocket. Draco smiled knowingly, but obviously was planning on asking a question that needed no voicing.

                "Well, how did it go?"

                Percy looked at him with steely eyes. "They were taken care of."

                "Wonderful. Now, on with the ritual." Draco suddenly lost his glee and turned curtly to Ron, putting out a hand. Ron gasped, and suddenly he was lifted into the air, suspended by an invisible hand. Draco started to close his fingers in a fist, smiling evilly as he watched Ron raise his arms to his neck, trying to pry the invisible fingers from around his neck. He tried to gasp out Harry's name, then Hermione, but hardly anything came out. Suddenly, Draco released his invisible grasp, letting the nearly asphyxiated young man fall to the floor before the mirror. 

                "Ron!" both cried in unison, but Percy stopped them and grabbed Harry roughly by the arm. Harry looked at him with a dangerous glare, but Percy silenced him.

                "Shh…your wands are both in the left pocket of my robes. Right before Draco begins to cast the spell, you must retrieve your wand and stop him. Do you remember the spell to call upon an object? You used it in the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament." His voice was low enough so that neither Draco nor the mirror could hear him.

                Harry's look of animosity quickly faded to one of confusion. Percy was helping them? But why? It made no sense.

                "I remember it…But-"

                "Good, you must save my brother. I will explain everything if we get out of here; I have a surprise for Draco Malfoy…"

                With that, Percy let go of Harry's arm and turned so that the wands were visible in the pocket. He crossed his arms and watched as Draco, having binded him to the floor before the mirror, was now contacting Voldemort once again. 

                "Master, we are ready for your advent! Your first victim!" Draco cried, and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Ron devilishly. He made Ron whirl around to face Harry and Hermione for the last time, with a determined and fearless look. He took a breath as he felt the tip of his wand touch his head, and let it out.

                "I love you, Harry. See you both very soon…" And he closed his sapphire eyes for what was sure to be the last time. 

                "Avada-"

                "Accio wand!" came Harry's frantic voice, and both Draco and Ron looked over towards the other two captives just as Harry's wand flew into his hand from Percy's robes, and it was just enough time that Harry needed. "FORAS POTESTAS!" he cried loudly. The flash of light that occurred next caused Hermione, Percy, Draco, and Harry himself to recoil in surprise. It narrowly missed Ron, and when they opened their eyes again, they saw that Draco was pinned to the wall, seething in surprise. His wand was across the floor, and Percy went forward and picked it up.

                "Percy, I knew I could count on you! Set me free! Or better yet, kill your brother yourself!" Draco cried angrily, but his anger was shattered by surprise by Percy's next actions.

                "Me? Kill my own brother? I think not." And with that, Percy took the wand in his hands and roughly snapped it into two and tossed the pieces at Draco's feet without pretense. "I never had any wish to work with one as dark and evil as you. When I came to you many weeks ago claiming allegiance to the Dark Lord, you should've sensed that I was merely under that façade. I was here under Ministry orders of the highest priorities." 

                Harry and Hermione heard all of this, but Harry rushed forward towards Ron, Hermione close behind. The mirror had begun to moan and vibrate, cracking the reflective glass around the edges. Percy turned suddenly, his eyes wide. Draco laughed maniacally as the castle floor began to shake distantly, and began to cry out in ecstasy.

                "My Lord! Come forward and exact your revenge! Only I remain faithful, my Lord!"

                "The mirror! Oh, God, the mirror! Voldemort's returning through the mirror!" Ron cried hazily, trying to stand and get out of the way. But his legs were not quite working, and Harry kneeled quickly and helped to prop him up. He pulled Ron away just in time to see Percy and Hermione rush in front of them, wand or hand raised to combat the evil forces. 

                "Peracto Exitium!" screamed Hermione frantically, pointing her hand at the mirror. She not yet had retrieved her wand; and so the spell was futile. A form began to melt from the severed glass, a form of a human sized being in a cloak, coming closer and closer to the castle chamber. The power of the coming Dark Lord knocked her from her feet, leaving Percy the only one standing. He raised his wand as Hermione had raised her hand, but it too was futile, even for as strong a wizard as Percy. He too was knocked against the wall, grimacing but still conscious. Now that he and Hermione were out of it, it was up to Harry or Ron.

                "Ron!" Harry cried over the howl of the mirror. "Ron! It's up to us now!" He turned back to Percy, who saw this and fumbled into his pocket and pulled out Ron's wand. With a pained grunt, he threw it towards Harry, who caught it with Seeker-like reflexes. He handed it to Ron, gave him a serious look, and nodded. "Ready?"

                "As I'll ever be!"

                Quickly, both brought their wands to bear, and pointed them directly at the quickly solidifying image of Lord Voldemort. They hadn't much time left.

                "PERACTO EXITIUM!" they shouted in powerful unison. A jazzed line of golden yellow shot from the tips of both their wands and wrapped itself about the form, causing the form to writhe and scream out louder. The mirror began to crack deeper as the golden light engulfed it like the sun's rays, and suddenly, it shattered to pieces, a last ghastly shriek piercing the air as it fell into the dust.

                "NO!" screamed Draco, his icy blue eyes wide in fury. "I'll get you back for this, Potter! All of you! My master WILL return by my hand!"

                "Not if I can help it. Remember when I told you about those Death Eaters being taken care of?" Percy asked. He pointed his wand at the door and willed it to swing open. Draco's eyes went from furious to terrified as he viewed what his fate was to be.

                Seven tall dementors, their rotted hands protruding from the sleeves of their black cloaks, wafted in silently like ghosts. They glided past Hermione and Percy, who both looked repulsed and cold by their presence. Ron was watching Harry carefully; he remembered all too well the effects that these abominable creatures had on his love. But if Harry was affected, he showed no signs. He was watching as they came upon Draco with a grim look, and turned away as they put their horrid hands upon him and moved him out of the room, his screams of terror falling upon deaf ears.

                Percy closed his eyes as they came and went, thankfulness flowing through him as the last gruesome thing left the room, leaving them in peace. He straightened his glasses, one lens broken from the assault of the mirror, and looked over to Hermione and helped her up. 

                "Percy?" came Ron's inquisitive voice. Percy looked over to his brother, whom was standing by aid of Harry, and smiled. 

                "Ron, I know what you're going to ask, and here's your answer. I'm sure all of you want more of an explanation than what I gave Malfoy." Percy took a breath and began. "I came here right after you came for your Apparition license, Ron. You might have noticed that I was on edge because I was a bit nervous about coming here and trying to fool the Death Eaters, and ultimately, the Dark Lord's spirit. But it worked, and I received your owl saying that you were on your way to a supposed Dark Arts stronghold a few days after I had arrived there. This gave me little time to prepare things. I had arranged the dementors to arrive here much later than they did, and I could only move up their arrival date by a few days. This is why I tried to urge Draco to hold off your death for as long as possible. I was afraid that the dementors would not show up on time today, but luckily, they are punctual to boot."

                "But what about that Death Curse, Percy?? You know it's forbidden to perform those curses on a human…" Hermione said, looking at him seriously. Percy nodded.

                "Yes, I know. But that was all a ruse. The dementors arrived in the room where I took the lesser Death Eaters quickly, and as I was making my way back up to this chamber, I knew that Draco would see that my wand was not glowing green with the aftereffects of the curse. And I remembered how much my brother hates spiders…luckily, there was one nearby, and it happened to be a bit of a poisonous one. So I fixed that problem, and kept up my ruse."

                Ron nodded, although his ears and cheeks were pink with embarrassment at the mention of his near-arachnophobia. 

                "It makes sense then…I found it a bit tough to swallow that you, a Prefect AND Head Boy, would've went to the Dark Side. I'm just glad this whole ordeal is over with.

                Harry smiled and nodded in agreement; he didn't think it would be wise to bring up the fact that Tom Riddle had been a Prefect and Head Boy over sixty years ago. Percy wasn't like Tom Riddle in any respects.

            "What do you say we all go home, eh?" Harry said instead. After a quick glance around the chamber, no one disagreed.

~*Chapter Thirteen Coming Soon!*~


	13. Home

**~*Chapter Thirteen*~ - Home**

****

                It was late in July; almost August in fact, when they had finished this quest, and no sight was welcomer to Ron's eyes than the sight of his own front door. 

                "It's nice to be home," Ron said decisively as he, Harry, and Hermione sat around his kitchen table, talking comfortably. It was just like old times back in the Gryffindor Common Room, they hadn't sat together as a trio in over four years. Hermione smiled; she hadn't seen her home for a long time, but it was worth it to stay here among her comrades for a while longer, laughing and reminiscing. They recalled events long past and told stories that they thought had been buried among their memories forever.

                "Oh, Harry!" Ron cried suddenly, a gleeful grin spreading across his boyish features. All three had recovered from their bouts fairly well; there were no lasting marks. Even Ron no longer mentioned the Memormetuo Curse. "Harry, did you know that we got a letter from Remus Lupin while on our trip to get you?"

                Harry looked up quickly, surprised. "Really? What did it say?"

                "Just a good luck message, but did you know that he's living with Sirius of all people?!"

                Hermione laughed. "I bet there's more to it than we know, Ron." This remark, especially coming from Hermione, was a surprise in itself, and caused the entire trio to laugh heartily.

                After the laughter died down a bit, Hermione again turned to Harry, a more pressing question in her eyes. "What are you going to do now, Harry? I mean, now that the Death Eaters are no longer a threat to you or us anymore."

                Harry's smile disappeared, replaced by one of uncertainty. "I'm not sure; I might just head home…" He glanced at his watch about then and saw that it was quite late in night, almost midnight in fact, and stood. "And I really hate to do this, but I need to be getting home anyways…I've been away too long." He glanced at Hermione and Ron for a moment, though his eyes lingered on Ron's bewildered expression for a few moments longer, then he quietly left the room, heading for the room where he had slept. The bed was still unmade from the night they made love; Ron hadn't made it in his haste to find Harry the next morning. Resignedly, he began to gather his things, his brow furrowed.

                Ron watched him go into the room with bewilderment, and suddenly jumped and yelped when he felt Hermione elbow him solidly in the ribs. He whirled his head to face her, and saw that she was giving him a deadly look the clearly said, "You had better not let him leave, Ronald Weasley, or I'll see to it that you get some sense knocked into you."

                "What was that for?" He asked; he saw no harm in asking just in case. She gasped in exasperation and rolled her brown eyes, then grabbed him by the shoulders.

                "Oh my God you are both so THICK! March yourself in there and stop him before he leaves! You and I both know that you don't want him to!"

                Feeling rather embarrassed, Ron stood from his chair and slowly made his way towards Harry's room. He leaned against the doorway, much in the same fashion as he had done the night Harry was taken, and looked upon Harry, who almost had everything packed up. He walked up behind the raven-haired young man, stood in front of a box that Harry was blindly putting things in, and began to take them out as quickly as Harry was putting them in.

                "Ron, what on Earth are you doing?" Harry asked, half irritated, half amused. Ron grinned crookedly and put his arms around Harry, drawing him into a loose but warm embrace.

                "Harry, what on Earth do you think _you're_ doing?" Ron repeated, still smiling. Harry chuckled, a few strands of raven hair falling across his forehead. "You weren't packing, were you? Thinking you were going to get out of here without getting through me, were you? Well, you thought wrong."

                Harry's vivid jade eyes lit up considerably, and he laughed. "I was going to head home…but it seems that I'm already home, doesn't it?"

                Ron grinned. 

                "Whatever gave you the impression that it _wasn't_ your home, Harry?"

~*Owari*~


End file.
